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The Roots of Root Music: A brief history of the Blues
Blues history can be traced down many paths, but this section should be considered in regards to how it developed in the United States. Early Stuff! People have used forms of the term “blues” to mean sad or depressed since the 16th century, although the term as we know it didn't really come into being until after the Civil War. It only became popular during the 1900s. As far as a music style, it has roots during the Civil War era, drawing from many of the plantation work-songs. After the slaves were freed, these plantation songs diminished somewhat, but black workers continued to do seasonal work in the south. These songs gradually changed into more solo pieces called “hollers” that were much more free-form than the previous songs, but retained the same sad feeling. Blues vocals are still very similar today. Most of the people who played blues were not highly educated and couldn't read music, so improvisation became integral to the style – both musical and lyrical (Oliver, 2001, p.730). Instrumentation As far as instrumentation, much of the African music the plantation workers were used to had drums in it, which were forbidden on the plantations. Since string instruments were often encouraged, they took precedence. Some of the African tribes from the savannah regions used string instruments in their histories and social commentaries, so some of the workers were familiar with them (Oliver, 2001, p.731). The development of the Blues place in society During the 1890's, Southern white Americans were bitter towards the blacks and passed segregation laws. Those laws and the general atmosphere of the time separated the blacks and helped form them into a true community. Many forms of black music and other forms of culture came into being during this time, including early versions of the blues. The culture contributed to the topics and feel of blues, which often include themes about frustration or oppression. Blues retained that theme in later generations, even if the specific topics changed with the era. Around this time, “black songsters” traveled around singing in the street or at medicine shows, and probably included blues in their repertoire. By the 1920s, these musicians had mostly been replaced by blues singers who did not incorporate other styles. (Oliver, 2001, p.731). Blues were especially popular from the 1920s to the 1950s and tended to reflect the struggles of the black community at the time. One example of this would be Skip James, "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" from the 1930s that talked about blacks searching for a better life in America during the depression, when things like Jim Crow laws and lynchings weighted on the minds of black people. Another is Muddy Waters, "Mannish Boy" which touches on topics like sexuality and racism, and the Civil Rights Movement (Prarie Public, 2003). Blues has declined gradually since the 1950s in popularity, although there are still many well known artists in the general. There was a slight revival in the 1990s and some artists, like Otis Rush, have spanned the decades, retaining their popularity (TEXTBOOK, p.201). By: Jill Ames